Celebrate New Year around the world in 5 minutes!
By: Future Point | 29-Dec-2018
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New Year's Traditions that bring the Festive Spirit all over the World
New Year is a time that brings immense joy and a wave of festive spirit across the world. New Year marks the welcoming of the coming year and a farewell to the year gone by.
Cultures across the globe celebrate New Year with many interesting traditions and rituals. While these rituals differ from culture to culture, they are bound by the common thread of 'spreading happiness'.
Let us take a look at these amazing New Year's Traditions or Rituals that adds more fun & charm to the festive spirit of New Year!
United States of America
America celebrates the spirit of New Year by bonding over a family meal that has a very special food which the Americans eat for attracting good luck. That special food is- Black-Eyed Peas. New Year celebrations as per American traditions include the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" to welcome the New Year.
Spain
In the wonderful land of Tango, people have an interesting tradition of eating grapes in a particular way. Spanish people eat '12 Grapes' with one at each stroke of the clock at midnight on New Year's Eve. Why 12 grapes? Well as per Spanish customs, each grape is considered to bring good luck & fortune for every month of the coming year. To promote harmony, Spanish people gather in main squares to observe this interesting custom.
Colombia
Colombians are very fond of travelling and they eagerly look forward to explore life through travels. Therefore, having a desire of a New Year with lots of good travel opportunities, people of Colombia carry empty travel bags or suitcases during New Year's celebrations.
Denmark
The Danish have their own interesting way of wishing a happy New Year to family and friends. The people of Denmark throw old plates and glasses at the doors of their family & friends. They believe that this ritual wards off negative and evil spirits. To attract good luck, the Danish surprisingly stand on chairs and jump off of them right at the stroke of midnight to "leap" into a lucky New Year January
Finland
The people of Finland do something that sounds occult based to make a prediction about the coming year. The Finnish, cast molten Tin into a water vessel and as per the shape that the metal takes afterwards, they make predictions about the New Year.
Different shapes point to different events, such as:
- A Heart or a Ring points out to a wedding.
- A Ship like shape points out travels.
- A Pig points out abundance in food.
Panama
Well their tradition might scare certain individuals! With a wish to ward off evil energies from the New Year to come, the people of Panama burn effigies of popular public figures such as politicians and TV personalities.
Scotland
Scotland celebrates New Year with great enthusiasm. A tradition in the name of "Hogmanay" or "first-footing" is practiced across Scotland in great spirits. As per Hogmanay, the first person who crosses a threshold of a home in the New Year should carry a gift for luck. The Scottish people arrange bonfire festivities where they move while swinging huge balls of fire on poles. These are representations of Sun that are aimed at purifying the coming year.
Philippines
New Year's Eve in Philippines witness presence of round shapes everywhere representing coin like shapes intended to attract a prosperous coming year. Families stack huge piles of fruit at the dinner tables and there is a tradition of eating 12 rounds of fruits in which grape is the most common choice, right at the stroke of midnight. It is also seen that some people wear 'Polka Dots' for good luck.
Brazil
Well here in Brazil and some other South American countries, things get a little mischievous. People here believe that wearing special underwear on the New Year's Eve will bring good luck in the year to come.
They even have specific colours to bring specific aspects in their lives, such as:
- Red to bring love
- Yellow to bring wealth
Greece
There is an age-old tradition in Greece of hanging an onion on the front door of homes on New Year's Eve. Greeks consider this traditional ritual as a symbol or rebirth.
Another interesting thing about this amazing Greek tradition is that parents wake their children by tapping them on the head with an onion on New Year's Day.
So, enjoy this upcoming fresh lease of life in the form of a New Year! But whatever you do, just remember to celebrate this festive spirit by maintaining harmony around you! Future Point wishes you a Happy New Year!